BIN Database Reference: Card Networks & Ranges
Your comprehensive reference guide to Bank Identification Number ranges, card networks, and issuer information. Whether you’re building payment systems, analyzing transaction data, or simply curious about BIN structure, this guide has you covered.
Understanding BIN Databases
BIN databases are the foundation of payment card identification.
What BIN databases contain: Comprehensive BIN databases store millions of records mapping BIN ranges to issuing institutions, card types, card levels, and geographic locations.
How BIN data is compiled: Data comes from official card network sources, issuing banks, regulatory filings, and ongoing transaction analysis across the payment ecosystem.
Update frequency and accuracy: The best BIN databases update weekly or even daily as new cards are issued, banks change, and card programs launch. BINLookupAPI maintains 2.5+ million BIN records with weekly updates.
Card Network BIN Ranges
Each major payment network has distinctive BIN patterns.
| First Digit(s) | Card Network |
|---|---|
| 4 | Visa |
| 51-55 | Mastercard (traditional) |
| 2221-2720 | Mastercard (new range) |
| 34, 37 | American Express |
| 6011, 644-649, 65 | Discover |
| 3528-3589 | JCB |
| 62 | UnionPay |
| 36 | Diners Club |
How to identify networks by BIN: Simply checking the first digit or first few digits immediately reveals the card network, enabling proper routing and validation.
Visa BIN Ranges
Visa is the world’s largest payment network with extensive BIN allocations.
Traditional 4xxx ranges: All Visa cards begin with the digit 4. This single-digit identifier makes Visa cards instantly recognizable.
Extended ranges: Visa utilizes the entire 4xxx space (4000000-4999999 for 6-digit BINs, expanding further with 8-digit BINs).
Card level identification: Within Visa’s BIN ranges, specific prefixes indicate card levels:
- Classic cards
- Gold cards
- Platinum cards
- Signature cards
- Infinite cards
- Business/Corporate cards
Exact ranges vary by issuing bank and region.
Mastercard BIN Ranges
Mastercard has expanded its BIN space significantly in recent years.
51-55 classic ranges: Traditional Mastercard BINs fall in the 51-55 range (510000-559999 for 6-digit BINs).
2221-2720 new ranges: To accommodate growth, Mastercard added the 2221-2720 range in 2017. Modern systems must recognize both.
Maestro vs Mastercard: Maestro (Mastercard’s debit brand) typically uses BINs in the 50, 56-58, and 6xxx ranges, though specific allocations vary by region.
American Express BIN Ranges
American Express (Amex) has a more limited but distinctive BIN structure.
34xx and 37xx ranges: All Amex cards start with 34 or 37, making them easily identifiable.
Card tier identification:
- Standard Amex cards
- Gold cards
- Platinum cards
- Centurion (Black) cards
American Express acts as both the card network and issuing bank for most cards, simplifying BIN identification.
Other Card Networks
Beyond the big three, several networks serve specific markets.
Discover: 6011, 644-649, 65
- Primary US-focused network
- Accepted domestically and increasingly internationally
JCB (Japan Credit Bureau): 3528-3589
- Dominant in Japan and Asia
- Growing acceptance worldwide
UnionPay: 62
- China’s national payment network
- Largest card network by number of cards issued
Diners Club: 36
- Travel and entertainment focused
- Historically significant, now smaller player
BIN Ranges by Card Type
BINs also indicate whether a card is credit, debit, or prepaid.
Credit card BINs: Traditional credit cards with revolving credit lines. Cannot be definitively identified by BIN alone—requires database lookup.
Debit card BINs: Linked directly to bank accounts. Often use specific BIN ranges allocated for debit products by each issuer.
Prepaid card BINs: Reloadable and non-reloadable prepaid cards use designated BIN ranges. Critical for fraud prevention as many merchants restrict prepaid cards.
Corporate card BINs: Business and corporate cards have specific BIN allocations, often with higher credit limits and different rewards structures.
Major Issuer BIN Reference
Large banks hold multiple BIN ranges for different card products.
Chase BINs:
- 42467101 (Visa Credit)
- 426684 (Visa Debit)
- Multiple ranges for co-branded cards (Southwest, Amazon, etc.)
Bank of America BINs:
- Various ranges across Visa, Mastercard, and Amex partnerships
- Separate BINs for credit, debit, and business cards
Wells Fargo BINs:
- Extensive Visa and Mastercard allocations
- Separate ranges for consumer and commercial products
Capital One BINs:
- Large Visa and Mastercard portfolios
- Notable for Venture and Quicksilver card products
International issuers: Major banks worldwide (HSBC, Barclays, BNP Paribas, etc.) each control multiple BIN ranges for domestic and international card programs.
Using the BIN Lookup Tool
Test BIN lookups instantly with our interactive tool.
Enter the first 6-8 digits of any card number to retrieve:
- Card network (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)
- Issuing bank
- Card type (credit, debit, prepaid)
- Country of issuance
- Additional metadata
Accessing BIN Data via API
For developers and businesses needing programmatic access.
API advantages:
- Real-time lookups (15ms average response time)
- Comprehensive data fields
- 8-digit BIN support
- Weekly database updates
- Production-grade reliability
Use cases:
- Payment form validation
- Fraud prevention systems
- Transaction routing
- Analytics and reporting
- Compliance verification
Frequently Asked Questions
How many BINs exist? Millions. With the transition to 8-digit BINs, the theoretical capacity is 100 million unique BINs (though not all are allocated).
Do BINs change? Rarely for existing cards, but new BINs are issued constantly as banks launch card products and fintech companies enter the market.
Can I get a complete BIN database download? Some providers offer database downloads, but APIs provide fresher data. BINLookupAPI focuses on API access for real-time accuracy.
How do I know if a BIN is for a prepaid card? BIN lookup is required—you cannot determine prepaid status from the BIN alone without a database.
Are test card BINs real? Payment networks provide test BINs (like 4111111111111111 for Visa) that pass validation but don’t connect to real accounts.
Related Articles
- The Complete Guide to BIN Numbers
- What is a BIN Number?
- BIN Lookup for Fraud Prevention
- BIN Lookup Use Cases
Access the Full BIN Database
BINLookupAPI provides access to 2.5+ million BIN records with comprehensive issuer data, card type identification, and weekly updates. Perfect for developers, payment processors, and fraud prevention teams.